Chennai Metro: Stalin Sets February Deadline for Poonamallee–Vadapalani Metro Stretch

Chennai

oi-Prakash KL

Tamil
Nadu
Chief
Minister
MK
Stalin
on
Monday
pressed
officials
to
fast-track
the
Poonamallee-Vadapalani
corridor
of
the
Chennai
Metro’s
Phase
II,
setting
a
deadline
of
February
for
its
completion.

The
directive
came
during
a
high-level
review
of
flagship
development
initiatives,
where
the
Chief
Minister
assessed
progress
on
27
major
schemes
classified
under
the
government’s
“iconic
projects” category,
The
New
Indian
Express
reported.

According
to
an
official
release,
the
number
of
schemes
designated
as
iconic
has
expanded
significantly-from
155
earlier
to
288
projects
spread
across
24
departments.
Together,
these
initiatives
represent
an
investment
of
nearly
₹3.17
lakh
crore,
underscoring
the
scale
of
the
state’s
infrastructure
and
welfare
ambitions.
Of
these,
85
projects
have
already
been
completed
and
opened
for
public
use,
while
the
rest
are
advancing
through
different
stages
of
implementation.

At
the
meeting,
Stalin
examined
the
status
of
27
schemes
worth
₹87,941
crore
and
instructed
department
secretaries
to
ensure
their
completion
by
January
2026.
The
review
covered
a
wide
range
of
sectors,
from
transport
and
housing
to
water
supply
and
urban
development,
reflecting
the
government’s
focus
on
integrated
growth.

Focus
on
Water
and
Urban
Infrastructure

Among
the
projects
discussed
were
integrated
drinking
water
supply
schemes
in
districts
including
Sivaganga,
Madurai,
Nagapattinam,
Tiruvarur,
Ramanathapuram,
Dindigul,
Virudhunagar
and
Thoothukudi.
These
initiatives,
overseen
by
the
Municipal
Administration
and
Water
Supply
Department,
aim
to
strengthen
potable
water
availability
in
both
urban
and
semi-urban
regions.

The
Chief
Minister
also
reviewed
development
works
at
Vandiyur
Lake
in
Madurai,
a
project
intended
to
enhance
ecological
balance
and
improve
civic
amenities
around
the
waterbody.

Transport
and
Connectivity
Projects

Urban
mobility
featured
prominently
in
the
discussions.
Stalin
assessed
progress
on
the
construction
of
new
bus
stands
at
Kuthambakkam
and
Chengalpattu,
both
designed
to
ease
congestion
and
improve
passenger
facilities.
He
also
examined
the
ongoing
work
on
a
pedestrian
skywalk
near
the
Kilambakkam
bus
terminus,
which
will
allow
safe
crossing
over
the
busy
highway
and
streamline
commuter
movement.

The
Metro
Rail
project,
however,
remained
the
centrepiece
of
the
review.
The
Poonamallee-Vadapalani
stretch
is
seen
as
a
crucial
link
in
Chennai’s
expanding
rapid
transit
network,
promising
to
reduce
travel
time
and
ease
traffic
pressure
in
the
western
parts
of
the
city.
Stalin’s
February
deadline
reflects
the
urgency
to
deliver
visible
progress
on
one
of
the
state’s
most
high-profile
infrastructure
undertakings.

Leadership
Presence

The
meeting
was
attended
by
Deputy
Chief
Minister
Udhayanidhi
Stalin,
Chief
Secretary
N.
Muruganandam,
and
senior
officials
from
six
departments.
Their
presence
highlighted
the
government’s
intent
to
maintain
close
oversight
and
coordination
across
ministries
to
ensure
timely
delivery
of
projects.

By
setting
firm
timelines
and
expanding
the
scope
of
“iconic
projects,”
the
Tamil
Nadu
government
is
signalling
its
commitment
to
accelerate
infrastructure
growth
while
addressing
essential
civic
needs.
The
push
for
completion
of
the
Metro
stretch
and
other
schemes
is
expected
to
bring
tangible
benefits
to
citizens
in
the
coming
months.